Evening routine for 15m old

[Ajl46]

Ours takes ages and we'd like to shorten it if possible. Equally happy to be told this is normal. DD is 15 months old. Either has 2 short naps in the day of between 20-40mins each, or one long nap of 1hr 40mins. Our evening routine takes 3 hours. Dinner time is 6:30pm and goes on til 7:15pm. We all eat together. Afterwards one of us tidies up (DD is a dinner-flinger so it takes a while) and the other one reads & plays with her. At 8pm she gets 2 episodes of a short lullaby program on tv (3 mins each). At 8:15pm it's bath time then 8:30pm is bottle and nursery rhymes to help her fall asleep. Feels like this takes ages - if I'm lucky sleep is by 9pm, if im unlucky it's by 9:30pm. Is this normal? Any tips on how to shorten this welcome!

I don't know how much of that you are calling your bedtime routine, but to be it starts from getting out the bath.

So you're is from 8.30pm:

• bottle
• then into cot?
• then nursery rhymes
• turn asleep and you leave the room 9.00-9.30pm.

That is long. I would do milk before the bath, while watching TV on the sofa. You can also skip the bath if you like, babies do not need bathing every night. Face/hand/teeth wash would be fine.

Then after bathroom (wash or bath), into night clothes, ONE story/nursery rhyme. Only 1, otherwise you get into an unhealthy delaying cycle. Then into cot. Hand on chest to settle or just wait nearby until asleep, and leave once asleep.

When mine were this age it took about 10 minutes start to end.

I'm not sure if you're including dinner and all that as part of "bedtime routine" too? To me that's just "evenings" not bedtime.

Also, if you do want to do a bath you could put her in at 7.30pm, straight after dinner. One parent does bath time, the other tidys downstairs. If no bath, you can start bedtime routine then (at 7.30pm) if you want DC in bed earlier.

Why not bathe her straight after the evening meal? Alternate who bathes and who clears up. And skip the TV, it's not necessary. It may be only 6 minutes a night but that adds up to nearly 3/4 of an hour a week!

Are you using the bottle as a sleep aid? She doesn't 'need' a bottle at all at this age so if it's taking ages because you're having to cajole her into taking it she probably just doesn't want it. The offer of a drink of water should be fine instead. That cuts out the faf of steralising/prepping/warming milk too.

When you've finished wit the bottle and nursery rhymes what next - do you put her down awake, or rock her to sleep or what?

For my 20 month old its up at 7am, a 1.5 hour nap from 10:30-12:00, dinner at 5 followed by a bit of playing/watching waffle the wonder dog whilst I tidy up. Bath time at 6 then 20 minutes later she's in pyjamas and ready for a little play or some books. At 6:45 she gets milk and is in bed
By 7. I find she has a shorter nap by having it in the am, but she lasts the rest of the day and is definitely ready for sleep at 7pm.

Oh, and sometimes I mix things up. If we are having a bit of a long afternoon I sometimes give her a bath at 4pm before dinner. Works quite nicely and makes the evening routine less rushed. We also skip bath sometimes if Its been a busy day and I don't have the energy.

At this age you could cut out the bottle or give it earlier, no TV at 8 and possibly no nursery rhymes. The reading could be done after bath, rather than before. This could then calm her for sleep instead of singing. So once dinner is finished someone goes to run the bath and she could be in it by 7.30pm. Play in the bath and maybe do nursery rhymes at this point. Out at 7.45 and then dressed and story. In cot ready for sleep by 8/8.15pm.

@Talkwhilstyouwalk

For my 20 month old its up at 7am, a 1.5 hour nap from 10:30-12:00, dinner at 5 followed by a bit of playing/watching waffle the wonder dog whilst I tidy up. Bath time at 6 then 20 minutes later she's in pyjamas and ready for a little play or some books. At 6:45 she gets milk and is in bed By 7. I find she has a shorter nap by having it in the am, but she lasts the rest of the day and is definitely ready for sleep at 7pm.

We have this routine too (albeit I can't stand waffle so he is banned!). It's been the same since DS was about 10 months and he's now 21 months. Sometimes the putting him to bed bit gets pushed back a little if he's busy playing or doesn't seem tired but one or both of us usually has to catch up on work after he's asleep so we try to make it happen at a reasonable time.

It's all happening too late for a 15 month old. 6.30 is too late for dinner for her. I think she should be in the bath by then although I often found a bath just before bed too stimulating sometimes. Forego all eating together for the time being unless you are happy to eat about 5 . We often did bath before dinner or during the day.
I think by 9 she will be overtired. Bedtime should be 7 to 7.30 ideally.
30 years working in childcare here.
Move it all earlier and good luck xx

Dd is 18months and dropped to one 1.5-2 hour sleep in the morning about that age. I do our dinner so its on the table at 5.45 when Dh comes home, finished about 6.15/6.30. One tidys up, the other one baths her, back down about 7, she has her bottle, watches in the night garden and up to bed once shes finished. Half 7 at the latest. Can be a bit earlier if i do the kids tea 1st about 5pm if shes particularly tired.

That all sounds so late to me.

I have a 4 and a 1 year old and the evening goes roughly like this

• dinner between 5-5.30
• bath at 6.30
• 6.45 get out and do pyjamas and stories (and milk if needed)
• 7 lights off

I agree that it's all too late, but assumed this couldn't be helped due to what time they get home from work etc. If family dinner can't be earlier OP you could consider feeding DD and doing an earlier bedtime routine and then the two of you eat later.

@lobsteroll

That all sounds so late to me.

I have a 4 and a 1 year old and the evening goes roughly like this

• dinner between 5-5.30
• bath at 6.30
• 6.45 get out and do pyjamas and stories (and milk if needed)
• 7 lights off

Thanks - what time do your kids get up? My husband and I both work til 6pm so dinner at 6:30pm is the earliest we can manage it. We have tried feeding DD first then having dinner ourselves later but she still doesn't go to sleep until 9:15-9:30pm so our dinner time was becoming ridiculously late. Also, DD eats more if she eats with us.

@wildthingsinthenight

It's all happening too late for a 15 month old. 6.30 is too late for dinner for her. I think she should be in the bath by then although I often found a bath just before bed too stimulating sometimes. Forego all eating together for the time being unless you are happy to eat about 5 . We often did bath before dinner or during the day. I think by 9 she will be overtired. Bedtime should be 7 to 7.30 ideally. 30 years working in childcare here. Move it all earlier and good luck xx

Thank you - my DH & I both work til 6pm so dinner at 6:30pm is the earliest possible (she gets dinner at nursery at 4pm but is still hungry when she gets home so she eats with us ☺️). We tried eating after she'd gone to bed but that was getting towards 10pm and I'm a type 1 diabetic so eating just before bed is not ideal. DD gets up around 7:30am, is that normal? Thanks 😁